Wild Horses Can't Be Tamed
by TanteKJ
Summary: A sequel of sorts to "Wild Horses" although it is not necessary to have read that first. Again dedicated to the Riding Crop Fan Club. I own not these characters.


"Why do you stare at me like that?"

"You don't look at all like a sea captain."

Maria fixed her husband with a playful smirk at that.

"Well, I'm afraid you don't look very much like a governess."

"I would hope not!" Georg returned, causing Maria to shake her head with a smile. "Hand me the brush, please? We are almost finished here and, if you're nice, I may just change dresses…"

"And we can disturb certain rooms in the house?" Georg asked, coming up next to his wife.

Maria shot him a _very_ promising look, prompting Georg to not only hand her the aforementioned brush so she could tend to the horse she'd been riding, but he looked for one for himself so that he could help expedite matters.

Georg was about to share with Maria how much he loved that she had become so attached to the horses since their early morning ride the other week when the words died in his throat as his eyes fell on an object neither would ever look at the same way again.

There, in front of Georg's eyes, hanging carefully on the wall, was his riding crop.

Images of the last time he'd held it between his fingers raced through his mind and he felt himself grow a bit hot under the collar.

He briefly wondered how it had made its way back to the barn, knowing that neither he nor Maria had brought it back. Frau Schmidt would only make it this far on the grounds if the main house was on fire and no one else ever entered the master bedroom. His curiosity, however, took a back seat as a glorious thought crossed his mind.

Tossing a look over his shoulder to make sure Maria was still busy with her horse; Georg silently took the crop from the wall and tiptoed over to his wife.

He indulged his senses, watching her for a beat, before lifting the hand holding the riding crop and tickling the back of her bare neck with it.

Maria jumped a foot at the unexpected contact, letting out a small shout of surprise, and dropping the brush in her hand. Her horse made a snort of protest as she spun around in the soft hay and faced her husband.

"What was that?!" She exclaimed.

"What?" He asked innocently, hiding the crop behind his back.

"Something touched my neck." She said, trying to catch her breath. "It wasn't you?"

"No." Georg said, with a slight shake of his head. "Perhaps a spider dropped down from the rafters?"

"A spider?!" Maria jumped towards her husband, her hands flying to her neck, giving him the perfect opportunity to wrap his arms around her lithe frame and hold her against his body.

She calmed after a few moments of running her hands across her neck, down her face, and through her hair. She met his eyes as she tried to catch her breath, noticing only then that something hard and firm was crossed horizontally across her back.

"Darling?" She asked.

"Hmm?"

"Are you holding something?"

Georg nodded his head and gave his wife what could only be described as a "Cheshire Cat grin."

"What is it?" Maria asked. "It's awfully hard."

"Is it hurting you?" He asked, genuinely concerned.

"No." She told him. "Just…what is it?"

Georg released his left hand's hold on the tip of the riding crop and raised his right hand so he could slide it up Maria's back and over her shoulder.

"Look what I found hanging on the wall."

Maria's eyes widened slightly as she took in what her husband was holding.

"Oh." She said. "My."

"Yes." Georg replied.

"Well…"

"You know," Georg began, gathering Maria into his arms again, "We are alone out here."

"Darling, you don't mean to…? Out here? What if someone comes out here? See us? Hears us? What if – "

Georg silenced Maria's runaway train of thought with a soft kiss to her lips.

"There is no one here. The children are out for the day, Frau Schmidt never comes out this far, and the men who care for the animals are on the other edge of the property. It is just us. However, I would never, ever ask you to compromise your virtue. It's gentle teasing, my Love, nothing more."

"But you want to." Maria returned, leaning in to give Georg a kiss of her own.

"I do." He said, kissing her again, surprised when she didn't pull away but instead deepened the kiss.

They held tight to each other for several minutes before Maria gently ended the embrace and gazed lovingly into her husband's eyes.

"Is there somewhere more private we can go?"

Georg nodded, his eyes leading hers to the loft above them.

"Up there?" Maria asked, a hint of hesitation entering her voice.

"It is the most private place _if_ any one were to come in here. But, as I said, we don't have to."

Maria stared at the loft for a long moment before taking a deep breath and reaching for her husband's hand. Linking her fingers with his, she gave a decisive nod of her head, met his eyes, and said, "Bring the crop with you."

Georg nodded evenly, using every last ounce of military training to contain his excitement at what they were about to do.

He allowed Maria to climb the ladder first, using the opportunity to sneak a peek at her shapely legs as she climbed. He tossed her a clean blanket usually reserved to cover the horses and asked her to lay it out as he climbed up to join her.

They righted themselves at the same time, Georg steadying himself after his climb and Maria standing once the blanket was smoothed out over the soft hay. Mutual smiles lit their faces as lips met. Kisses gave way to caresses which gave way to bodies slowly lowering down to the blanket. Georg exposed Maria's shoulder as her nimble fingers worked the buttons on his shirt. She pushed the fabric from his shoulders as his lips left blazing trails across the soft skin of her neck. She smiled as her hand came into contact with the handle of his riding crop that he'd dropped in the hay next to them. She turned her head so she could capture his lips again, knowing she could distract him just long enough to once again tap his backside with his riding crop.

Georg pulled back from her lips in shock, the smoldering look he gave his wife causing her breath to catch in her throat.

"You will pay for that, Baroness." He said, his voice low.

Maria met his gaze with one of her own, her own voice just as low.

"What was it you told me last time, Darling? That human touch is much more…effective?"

"That is what I said." He confirmed, his breath coming hard and fast.

"Well," Maria began, tracing the riding crop over his back, "let's make sure…"


End file.
